2021 rankings: The obvious top 3 plus stock risers

The 2021 class is a deep class with an aura of guards and forwards. There were some players in the class that made a move up the rankings, and it’s not hard to see why they did. Let’s discuss the obvious top three plus the stock risers in the updated 2021 rankings. The top three of Moussa Cisse, Kennedy Chandler and Johnathan Lawson were unanimous picks. Cisse is a 6-foot-11 big man that’s unstoppable, and he showed that throughout the 2019 season on his way to leading Lausanne to the Division II A Boys State Tournament Championship. Cisse, who averaged 21 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.1 blocks, is a solid rim protector. His shot blocking is off the charts. On the offensive end, he can stretch the floor with his ability to knock down outside jump shots. Chandler’s court vision and ability to control the pace of the game was more than enough to land him at No. 2 plus a second straight season winning Mr. Basketball in Division II-AA. If Cisse wasn’t in the state, Chandler would have been No. 1. Lawson took a huge step in 2019, mainly playing point guard for Wooddale. At 6-8, Lawson was able to see over defenses and make the right play, well pass. He loves to get his teammates involved, so racking double digits in assists was easy for him. Lawson can score at any time. Alex Anderson came in at No. 4. Anderson plays with a lot of energy for a full 32 minutes. He plays hard on both ends of the court. At 6-6, Anderson’s strength is getting to the rim. He just needs to improve on his jump shot. Forward David Dixon landed at No. 6 after being not being mentioned at all in the rankings. Dixon, who averaged 21 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks per game, made a leap at MAHS by putting up solid numbers. He was a rim protector just like Cisse. No one wanted to come into the lane while he was there. On the offensive end, Dixon’s length and strength allowed him to get any shot over most defenders. Kameron Jones from ECS landed at No. 7, and it was a must for him to be in the top 10. He put Mr. Basketball-like numbers (19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals) in 2019 and because of that, more Division 1 programs started coming after him. Jones has smooth ball handles with an un-guardable step back jumper. The biggest riser and probably biggest surprise by many is combo guard Alden Applewhite at Houston. The 6-6 combo guard came up big in games the Mustangs needed him to step up in. Applewhite’s shooting made him a household name. Once he gets into rhythm, it’s hard to get him out of it. Isaiah Jones and Mason Miller rounded out the top 10. Jones cracked the top because of his progression on the offensive end. The consistent jump shot started to come alive for Jones. That’s what he needs to be able to do in order to play on the wing in Division 1 basketball. Also, Jones isn’t a big rebounder. He flirted with a double-double (15.3 points and 9.8 rebounds) in 2019. Kley McGowan isn’t getting the love he deserves. The 6-4 shooting guard can flat out stroke it from deep. His scoring average of 11 points per game doesn’t seem impressive, but he was playing with Belmont commit [player_tooltip player_id="537125" first="Jacobi" last="Wood"], who got a lot more shot attempts, 2021 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="537247" first="Grant" last="Hurst"], 2021 small forward [player_tooltip player_id="983715" first="James" last="Hall"] and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="845993" first="Morrell" last="Schramm"]. McGowan has the tools for a Division I program. Daveonne Warfield made a huge jump to No. 21. A lot of people aren’t talking about the scoring guard, but he’s legit. He can play both guard positions because of his solid ball handles. Warfield has a nice release on his jumper. It wasn’t a fluke that the 6-2 guard averaged 19.6 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals per game for Kirby. [player_tooltip player_id="537234" first="Brandon" last="Maclin"] had a breakout season for Jackson South Side in 2019, so coming in at No. 25 wasn’t a bad spot for the 6-4 guard. Maclin is a big guard who can move his feet. He’s a solid defender and great at slashing to the basket. A consistent jumper will make Maclin a player worthy of cracking the top 15. Reese McMullen from Christian Brothers at No. 27 is reasonable. McMullen improved his ball handling going into the 2019 season. Because of that, he was able to show viewers that he’s capable of creating his own shot. McMullen has the eyes of Division 1 programs and his recruitment could spike up if an AAU season could take place. Jaquan Lax from Bolivar Central came out of nowhere and landed at No. 51. Lax is another stellar scoring guard that showed flashes over the course of 2019 that he’s capable of taking over a game. He plays fast, so it’s hard to stay in front of him. Lax takes a lot of shots, but he takes a lot of smart shots. The 6-1 point guard was the Tigers’ best player in 2019. Two key players in the top 60 come from the same school. Tyler Fitzpatrick came in at No. 57. Taki Walker came in at No. 59. Fitzpatrick has the most potential between the two because of his length (6-5). He can play at shooting guard and small forward. Fitzpatrick can score with the best of them. His skillset makes him a top 30 player, but he needs to get tougher and play with a sense of urgency. Walker didn’t disappoint. He’s a tough point guard. At 6-2, Walker flirted with a triple double (11 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists) while playing for the Wildcats. He looks forward to playing the best players on the best teams. Walker never walks away from a challenge. That’s what I love about him.